The subject invention relates to a novel finger-operated switching means adapted to interface blind persons with a wide variety of instruments which employ electronically operated visual display devices.
As a result of recent rapid developments in both computer and electronic microcircuit technology there has been a wide proliferation of devices having visual digital output display. Examples of such now well-known devices include digital computers, desk and hand calculators, stop watches, clocks, accounting machines, and the like, to name but a few. Moreover, because it is now readily possible to package the relatively large amount of circuitry needed to convert analog information into digital form for display purposes, a great variety of electronic instruments now employ digital output and display logic. Digital voltmeters, pH meters and other electronic test equipment are typical examples of the foregoing. As a matter of fact, digital display devices are now preferred in the art in most instances over the heretofore widely used analog display devices such as meter movements and the like.
In practice, of course, such visual digital display devices cannot be utilized by blind persons. However, the electronic digital signals developed to drive such display devices, whether alphabetic or numeric in character, readily lend themselves to conversion to corresponding audible signals for interpretation by the blind. By means of my invention, a blind person having a fundamental knowledge and proficiency in the use of braille reading technique can interpret alphabetic or numeric digital signal information of the type employed to drive the aforementioned digital display devices.